BLACK VELVET ROSES

by Marianne Spitzer

  His cell phone rang. “Maybe it’s Kellie.” His shoulders dropped when he saw the Caller ID read the call was from Claudia.

  “Hello.”

  “You have to find her. She and Rufus are underground and lost. It’s dark, but they are alone. The shadow didn’t follow.”

  “What? Where?”

  “I don’t know. I can only see darkness and feel she is lost because the shadow trapped her and Rufus. If I know more, I’ll call.”

  “Is she cold? She could freeze to death.”

  “No, she isn’t warm, but it isn’t cold. Wherever she is it’s cool and damp. Her clothes should keep her warm enough. Look for her now.”

  Claudia clicked off leaving Randy to stare at his phone and then run back to the patio doors to try and figure out what the shadow could do to lure Kellie underground and where.

  ########

  Kellie shuffled her way through the tunnel. It was hard to see ahead of her and down at her feet with the small flashlight. She hoped shuffling would keep her from tripping. “Are you okay, boy?”

  Rufus barked and it echoed through the tunnel. Rufus whined and Kellie dropped to one knee to comfort him. “It’ll be all right. We’ll find a way out or someone will figure out where we are.” There were many turns and twists in the tunnel and Kellie couldn’t figure out which way they were going or how far. All she knew was that Rufus had started to limp and she was tired. Her watch told her they had been walking for over three hours.

  “It’s time for a break, Rufus.” This time he barked, but it was barely audible. She found a flat area and sat. Rufus lay down next to her.

  Checking her phone again proved useless. She didn’t have a signal and without one her GPS wouldn’t be working. She couldn’t map her location and anyone looking for her wouldn’t be able to track her location either.

  Rufus lay his head on her lap and she leaned against the tunnel wall. Both drifted off to sleep.

  ########

  The door chimes at Kellie’s jolted Randy out of his thoughts. He hurried to the door and saw Detective Stellion on the porch. “Come in detective,” he said as he opened the door.

  “Have you heard from her?”

  “No, sir. I’m worried.” Randy nearly closed the door on Taylor as she rushed into the house.

  “Uncle Mike, you have to find her. If she and Rufus are gone then the shadow took them.” She dropped onto the sofa pulling her gloves off.

  Randy tried to close the door again when he saw Cole and Andrea rushing up the walk. He knew Hunter would be there soon.

  Everyone was speaking at once trying to figure out where Kellie was when Mike yelled, “Quiet, I have an APB out on her. The local department officers and the sheriffs know her by sight. They’ll find her.”

  “Excuse me, but I don’t think they will.” They all stared at Randy with eyes wide. “I’m sorry, but Claudia called. She said wherever Kellie is she’s underground and lost. She’s not cold so she won’t freeze, but it is cool and damp where she’s lost.”

  “Underground?” Mike strode from one end of the room to the other. “That could mean a cave. There are miles of caves and tunnels between here and Timmus Woods along the river. We don’t have the time or manpower to search them all if we knew where they were. Many aren’t mapped. I think Claudia’s wrong. Someone kidnapped her. We’ll get a call soon. I have someone coming over to put a bug on the line. We’ll catch them.”

  The rest of the group looked at each other. They all knew the truth. The shadow had somehow trapped Kellie and Rufus. Their only hope was he wouldn’t kill her and Claudia could stay in contact somehow.”

  Randy’s cell rang again, “Yes, I understand. What can we do? Okay, thanks.”

  He slipped his phone back in his pocket. “That was Claudia. She senses Kellie’s fine. She thinks she’s asleep and still somewhere in Malone Springs. She senses the springs or river will be of importance. She’ll call later.”

  “The springs,” Andrea jumped up. “If she’s in a cave or tunnel and the springs flood it, she’ll drown.”

  “Calm down, honey,” Cole put his arms around her. “It’s winter. The river is at a low point and the springs are barely bubbling. We’re not going to get any thunderstorms to fill the river and the snow won’t melt until spring. Plus, there’s hardly any snow outside. Sit back down. We’ll find her.”

  Andrea sat down, lay her head on Cole’s shoulder, and burst into tears. Taylor had been holding back her tears, but once Andrea started, she joined her.

  Hunter arrived at that moment and saw both women weeping. “Oh no, is she …”

  “No,” Randy said. “They just couldn’t hold in their emotion any longer.”

  Hunter fell into a chair, leaned back, put his hands over his face, and said, “Tell me what’s happening.”

  They filled him in while Mike’s tech officer worked on the phones.

  ########

  Kellie woke two hours later hungry and thirsty. She knew she could deal with the hunger, but she and Rufus would need water, but where would she find it? “Come on, boy, let’s keep walking.” Rufus stood and followed her deeper into the tunnel.

  She scanned the area with her flashlight and saw that the tunnel narrowed and the ceiling was lower. She would have to crawl. She could see the other side and saw that it opened into a larger space. “Okay, boy, looks like I crawl. I think you can make it without ducking.” She wondered if she was losing her mind speaking to Rufus as if he was human, but it calmed her. She was relieved not to be alone.

  Kellie was on her knees and had neglected to check the ground. Placing her hand onto what she thought would be solid ground dropped it into a puddle. Rufus pushed passed her to lap up the water that was seeping down the side of the rock wall. When she placed her hand down again, the ground was damp, but the puddle was gone. She crept forward with care. Taking a moment to scan the floor, she wanted to be sure there weren’t any drop offs or sharp stones.

  Rufus made it into the larger tunnel before Kellie. He turned to bark at her and his bark echoed again. He dropped to the cave floor and tried to rub his ears with his paws. Kellie crawled up to him and ruffled his fur. “I understand. My ears are ringing, too. Please don’t bark unless you’re warning me.” He whined and nuzzled up next to her.

  Standing up in the larger opening felt good, but Kellie had no idea which way to go. There were two exits from the cave. She shone her light down both, but it wasn’t of any use. Rufus was sniffing the air at each opening. She hoped he would smell something familiar. He turned and looked at her. She sat to rest her knees for a while. She needed to try and figure out which way to go.

  ########

  The tech finished installing the bug and left. Detective Stellion said, “An officer is on the way to monitor the phone with you. Either Taylor or Hunter should answer the phone. Whoever took her knows you’re the closest to her. Cole, Andrea, and Randy go home. I’m sure someone is watching the house. I don’t want this place to turn into a zoo. I’ll call one of your cells if I learn anything new.” He spun on his heel and left. He passed the officer who would man the phone line on his way out.

  The officer introduced himself as Walter Cassone. “But you can call me Wally,” he said with a smile. He set some equipment on the kitchen table and set the phone next to an empty chair. “I need one of you to sit here and when the phone rings, let it ring twice before you answer. Try to keep whoever is calling on the phone as long as possible. Insist on talking to Kellie. If we’re lucky, they’ll let us and we’ll have time to trace the call.”

  Taylor sat down on the chair letting Hunter rest in the living room. The rest of Kellie’s friends left grudgingly, but Hunter promised to call the minute they heard anything. Sitting in his truck, Randy phoned Claudia to let her know what was going on.

  “Please, if you know anything new, let me know. I’m going to have to find her. The police don’t believe the shadow exists and refuse to believe she’s underground. They’re thinking
it’s a kidnapping for money. How can they find her if they look in the wrong places? I’m heading to the river to see if I can find some caves.” He started his truck and pulled away from the house and stopped. “Yes, I’m on my way to pick up Cole and change into warmer hiking clothes. We won’t go anywhere alone. Thanks.” He sped down the street towards home.

  ########

  The shadow was able to look in the patio doors. The dog was gone and Kellie was also underground. They would die. He could tell they would never be found. The cop in the kitchen was waiting for a ransom call. He was going to leave and settle near his sister, but this was too enjoyable. He wanted to watch them all suffer.

  ########

  Kellie said, “We have to keep moving. Do you know which way to go?” Rufus gave a small yip. Kellie wondered how long it would take him to bark again. “Wish I had a coin to flip. I remember someone once told me the way out of a maze is to keep your hand on the right side wall. This isn’t a man-made maze, but we could try. We’ll go right.” Rufus followed her.

  She could walk upright in the tunnel. The flashlight let her know the tunnel was straight for at least fifty feet. Kellie didn’t know where it would lead, but she was determined to try. If she hit the end, they would turn around and come back. Then they would take the left tunnel.

  ########

  Randy pulled up in front of Cole’s house dressed for a blizzard. He wore insulated winter work coveralls, hiking boots, wool cap and gloves. Not intending to come back without Kellie, his back-pack was filled with water and high energy bars.

  Cole had the same idea. He was dressed nearly identical and carried a back-pack with water and granola bars. Andrea had added an emergency medical kit and several wide elastic bandages.

  Rolling down the window, he called, “Ready, Cole.”

  “Sure am,” he kissed Andrea and waved his cell phone at her as he ran to the truck. “I’ll keep in touch.” Andrea held her tears back until Randy’s truck was well down the street. She was worried about their safety, but not their warmth. They both resembled climbers she had seen on TV ready to climb Mount Everest.

  “Where should we start?” Cole asked slipping his phone into his jacket pocket.

  “I think at the spring and follow the river. Claudia said the river would play a part. There are caves along the river. Some are too small to enter, but we can call into each one. Maybe she’ll hear us.” Randy pulled onto the highway headed for the springs.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Detective Stellion was pacing in his office. The APB hadn’t brought in any leads. His men were checking the hunting cabins on the outskirts of town. The last time Kellie was kidnapped, she was held there. Perhaps Mrs. Casey had reached out from prison to cause more havoc. Kellie is rich. Anyone might want to kidnap her.

  His desk phone rang. “Yes, I understand. Keep canvasing. Someone must have seen something out of the ordinary this afternoon. Maybe a delivery van, unusual truck, strange people driving around. I don’t care, keep looking and keep asking questions. I need a lead.” He dropped into his chair and slammed his fist on his desk.

  His phone rang again, “Yes, oh hello dear. No, we haven’t heard a word. I will, Rita, I promise. I’m doing all I can. I know you love her, so do I. I’ll call as soon as I know something. I love you, too.” He opened his desk drawer, took two aspirin, and dropped his head onto his hands waiting for the pain to subside.

  ########

  Randy pulled into the parking lot of Springs Park. It was the best place to start. A bridge crossed the springs and residents enjoyed watching the water come up through the rocks and run down forming the river. A path ran on both sides of the river, but they were seldom used. The paths meandered along the river’s edge and eventually began to border backyards of homes built near the river. If they walked far enough they would end up at what remains of the Malone Mansion property.

  Randy stood and looked out over the park area and down the path on the west side of the river. “Cole, she’s under this ground somewhere. We have to find her.”

  “Could your friend from the university use the ground penetrating radar he used to find Kellie’s mom’s urn buried in the cemetery?” Cole zipped his coat up to his neck. The wind had picked up and flurries were starting to fall again.

  “No, there’s too much rock under us and too much ground to cover. If I know Kellie, she’s moving trying to find her way out. Too many tunnels and small caves plus the city water pipes start near here to bring water to the water plant.” He opened the back gate of his truck and grabbed a length of rope.

  He threw the rope over his shoulder and secured it with a snap on his jacket’s shoulder. “Cole, can you carry this rock hammer? It’s a small one and not too heavy. We might need it to enlarge an opening if we find one.”

  “Sure,” Cole took the hammer and dropped it through a loop on his waist. “Ready to go?”

  “Yup,” Randy slammed the tailgate. “Keep a look out for anything strange.” He began his trek down the path scrutinizing the ground. The further they walked the more the ground on the side of the path rose.

  They came to their first discovery. It was a small opening in the side of the hill, not much larger than a fist. Randy shone the flashlight into the hole and it didn’t appear to be any larger as far as he could see. He yelled, “Kellie, Kellie, can you hear me? If you can’t answer, that’s okay. Cole and I are going to find you.”

  ########

  Kellie wandered deeper into the tunnel. Her small flashlight illuminated a straighter path in front of her. “Well, Rufus, I don’t think we’re moving toward the river. We might be heading in the opposite direction. Or, we could be heading toward the old mansion site and then we’d be near the river after all. I haven’t felt any vibration which means, I think, that we haven’t gone under Main Street.”

  Rufus walked up to her and pushed his nose into her hand and then lay down on the ground. She sat next to him. “It’s evening already. I’m tired, too. Let’s rest a bit.”

  ########

  Mike looked out his window. They had lost the benefit of daylight. Searches were always more difficult in the dark. One of the patrolmen ran into his office. “Sir, one of the men on patrol ran into a group of hunters. They say one of the cabins off the highway has an old bomb shelter behind it. It’s a perfect place to hide someone. Officers are on their way now. Would you like to ride with me?” Mike nodded as he followed the officer to his cruiser. The thought of Claudia saying Kellie was underground crossed his mind. An old bomb shelter would fit that description.

  When they pulled up to an empty parking field used when the hunters stayed in their cabins, Mike saw two other Malone Springs police cruisers and two Oakland County Sheriff’s vehicles. One of the cruisers was the local K9 unit. The officer said, “Detective, everyone has been looking. This clue went out over the radio and it looks as if half the squads showed up.”

  Mike knew that his officers had volunteered to work overtime without pay in order to help search for Kellie. He saw officers and deputies spread out in every direction searching the ground with flashlights for any sign of a bomb shelter or possibly a storm cellar.

  ########

  Cole grabbed Randy’s arm. “Slow down a little. It’s dark. If you fall and get hurt you’ll never find her. Let’s take a break and eat something. We’ll need the energy if we’re going to continue searching. It’s past dinnertime.”

  Randy knew he was right, but all he wanted to do is run and look everywhere. “Okay,” he pulled a power bar out of his back-pack, tore the wrapper, and took a bite. He ate it in record time. Following it with most of a bottle of water, he looked at Cole and said, “I’m done. You ready?”

  Cole mumbled, “Yeah,” as he shoved the last of the granola bar in his mouth and drank his water as he followed Randy.

  Randy pulled a small lantern from his back-pack and it illuminated the area much better than the flashlight. “We need to find cave openings.”

  Col
e picked up a stick and began poking the brush, doing his best to push it away from the hillside. “I remember as a kid there were caves, but I don’t remember as much brush. Either it has grown thicker or it didn’t bother me back then.”

  “I remember, too, but I think the cave openings are further up and the brush is thinner.” He shone the lantern at the hillside hoping for any opening.

  ########

  After two hours of searching for the bomb shelters and finding several concrete covers to wells, Detective Stellion was about to give up when someone called out. “I think I found it. This door is larger and different than the well covers.”

  An officer pried off the padlock and pulled the concrete lid open. The hinges were rusty. He looked at the detective and said, “I don’t think anyone has used this in years, but I’ll go down and check.” They watched as he climbed down into the darkness. A small amount of light from his flashlight bounced with each step.

  “I’m down,” he called up. After several minutes, he called back up, “All clear.” He climbed back out and told Detective Stellion, “I’m sorry sir. It’s empty and doesn’t look as if anyone has been down there in years.”

  Frustration showed on everyone’s face. Detective Stellion kicked the ground. He turned to the officer that brought him and said, “Take me back to the station. I need to go over some paper work.” I also need to call Rita, he thought.

  ########

  Cole was poking at the brush when his stick found an opening. “Randy, over here. This is a large opening.”

  Randy shone the light in and replied, “If either of us went in there we’d have to crawl on our stomachs, but it goes in a long way. Let’s try yelling. Okay, one, two, three, ‘Kellie.’” Both of their voices echoed in the opening.

  Rufus barked again and whined again. “Why did you bark? I fell asleep didn’t I? I’m sorry.” Rufus began to whimper and yip. “What is it boy? Hungry? Thirsty? What made you bark? I hope you didn’t see a rat or mouse.” She shuddered at the thought of sharing the tunnel with any rodents.